Platen actuating and ribbon feed mechanism for stenographic machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 26, 1950 G. w. NUNN PLATEN ACTUATING RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR STENOGRAPHIC MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1947 G. W. NUNN PLATEN ACTUATING RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Sept. 26, 1950 FOR STENOGRAPHIC MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F116;: Au 16, 1947 area/me NUNN AMI-0C9 I i UM III 'Ill'l Patented Sept. 26, 1950 OFFICE PLATEN ACTUATING AND RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR MACHINES STENOGRAPHIC George William Nunn, Surrey, England Application August 16, 1947, Serial No. 769,008 In Great Britain August 15, 1946 3 Claims.

This invention relates to writing machines such as 'typewriting machines, accounting and billing machines and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide improved platen-actuating and ribbon feed mechanism which is particularly but not exclusively adapted for use with shorthand typewriters or stenographic machines wherein operation of the key levers rotates the platen to feed the paper.

In a known type of stenographic machine on the operation of and during the early part of the stroke of a key lever, the platen and the ribbon feed mechanism are driven through ratchet and pawl mechanism by means of a universal bar the arrangement being such that both the platen and the ribbon feed mechanism are stationary during the later part of the stroke of the key lever and at the moment of impact of the type.

According to the invention the depression of a key lever operates a universal bar which tensions a spring but does not move the platen or the ribbon feeding mechanism so that the type makes impact with a stationary platen and ribbon. As the key lever is released the tension spring comes into operation and through suitable mechanism rotates the platen to feed the paper and also moves the ribbon feed mechanism. The invention also includes a preferred form of ribbon and ribbon feed mechanism as hereinafter described.

To enable the. invention to be fully understood it will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a stenographic typewriting machine having one form of the invention applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 i a side view thereof, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clarity,

Fig. 3 is a side view of a detail of the mounting of the platen,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the ribbon cradle of the machine, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 4.

As indicated in Fig. '1 the machine comprises the key levers 6, platen l, ribbon reel 8, and type levers 9 (see Fig. 4) carried in a frame iii. The key levers 6 are pivoted on a bar I l in the machine frame (Figs. 2 and 4) and rest on a universal bar I2 pivoted to the outside of the machine frame at l3, M. The key levers operate the type levers 9 in any convenient manner. The platen l is carried on a spindle [5 the ends of which are loosely mounted in open slots [6 in the sides of the frame. The universal bar I2 is connected to a lever l1 pivotally mounted on the pivot l3 the slotter end l8 thereof engaging a pin [9 on a link 20 connected to a crank 2| on the spindle of a driving pinion 22 mounted on the machine frame and engaging a rack 23 mounted for horizontal slidable movement on the pins 24. The rack 23 is under spring tension provided by a coil spring 24a one end of which is attached to'the rack, the other end being'attached to the machine frame.

The arrangement is such that on depression of a key lever 6 the pinion 22 is turned and the rack is moved to tensionthe spring. When the key lever is released the spring returns the rack to its original position. The platen 1 and the ribbon feed actuating mechanism are driven by the -reciprocating movement of the rack 23 as follows One end of the spindle l5 of the platen is fitted with a one-way clutch 24b carrying a pinion 25 engaging the rack 23 and the ribbon feed actuating mechanism comprises a spindle 26 mounted in the machine frame and fitted with a one-way clutch 27 carrying a pinion 28 engaging with the rack. The clutches may be of any suitable type. With this arrangement when a 'keylever 6 is depressed, the universal bar [2 is also depressed and moves the rack 23 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and so tensions the spring 24a, the pinions 25, 28 being rotated but the. clutches 24b, 21 slip and the movement is dles I5, 26 so that the platen and the ribbon feed mechanism are operated on the return stroke of the rack and after the type lever has made its impression. The line spacing may be adjusted byregulating the travelo'fthe rack '23 as by adjusting the connection of the lever I! with the universal bar I2. The movement of the spindle 26 is communicated to any desired type of ribbon feed mechanism. In the present case, the preferred form of ribbon feed comprises ribbons in the form of endless bands instead of the more usual arrangement of a pair of horizontally mounted drums, the ribbon being fed from one drum to the other.

As illustrated, two diiferent coloured ribbons are used, but a single ribbon may be used if desired.

Two ink reservoir drums 29, 30 are superposed on a vertical spindle 3| mounted in a ribbon cradle 32 pivoted to the sides of the machine frame It) at 33, 34 (Fig. An endless band ribbon 35 runs round each of the drums 29, 30 and round guide rollers 36 and in front of the type face, each ribbon being pressed into contact with the ink drum by a roller 31 which is preferabl spring-pressed.

The lower drum is attached to a gear wheel 38 on the spindle 31 which gears with a pinion 39 on the spindle 26 so that the movement of the rack 23 is communicated to the ink drums simultaneously with the movement of the platen 1.

The cradle 32 is rotatable about the horizontal axis of the drive of the ink drum and to bring one or other of the ribbons into action in front of the type face a press button 40 is mounted on the frame and bears on a flange 4| on the edge of the cradle. When the button 4|] is depressed the cradle is moved bout its pivot to bring the lower ribbon into operation and suitable means (not shown) are provided for holding the button in the depressed position. When the button is released the cradle is lowered to bring the upper ribbon into operative position.

The ink drums contain ink pads with Which the ribbons are pressed in contact to replenish the ink continually. The above-described ribbon feed mechanism may be used with other types of platen-actuating mechanisms.

The platen 1 is readil detachable for cleaning and replacement and, as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the spindle I5 are retained in the slots l6 by recessed lugs 42 pivoted at 43 to the machine frame and connected by a bar 44. The lugs are held in contact with the ends of the spindle l5 by a' coil spring 45 as shown and when it is desiredto remove the platen the bar 44 is swung into the position shown in chain lines.

In order to make the machine as silent as possible the rack 23, and where possible some or all of the various driving, pinion and gear wheels are made of fibre or plastic material, and rubber or like pads are provided for the universal bar l2 and the key rest bar.

I claim:

- -1. In a stenographic machine, a frame, a, transverse bar mounted in the frame, a series of key levers pivotally mounted on the bar, a series of type levers engaged by the key levers, a bracket pivoted to the outside of the frame, a universal bar arranged beneath the key levers and carried in said bracket, a spindle rotatably mounted on the frame, a platen on the spindle, a one-way clutch on one end of the platen spindle, a pinion on the clutch, a rack mounted for horizontal slidable movement on the frame and engaging the clutch pinion, a driving pinion pivoted to the frame and engaging the rack, a spring holding the rack under tension, a crank on the driving pinion,'a link pivoted to the crank, and a lever pivoted to the frame and having a, slotted end engaging a pin on the link, the other end of the lever being connected to the universal bar.

2. In a stenographic machine as claimed claim 1, ribbon feed mechanism comprising a cradle mounted in the frame, a spindle horizontally mounted in the cradle, a one-Way clutch on the spindle carrying a pinion engaging the rack, a second pinion on the clutch spindle, a gear wheel mounted on a vertical axis in the cradle and engaging said second pinion, an ink drum secured to the gear wheel, guide rollers mounted in the cradle, and an endless ribbon running round the drum and rollers and in front of the type faces.

3. In a stenographic machine, a frame, a transverse bar mounted in the frame, a series of key levers pivotally mounted on the bar, a series of pivoted type levers engaged by the key levers, a bracket pivoted to the outside of the frame, a universal bar arranged beneath the key levers and carried in said bracket, a spindle rotatably mounted in the frame, a platen on the spindle, a one-way clutch on one end of the platen spindle, a pinion on the clutch, a rack mounted for horizontal slidable movement on the frame and engaging the clutch pinion, a driving pinion pivoted to the frame and engaging the rack, a spring holding the rack under tension, a crank on the driving pinion, a link pivoted to the crank, a lever pivoted to the frame and having a slotted end engaging a pin on the link, the other end of the lever being connected to the universal bar, a cradle pivotally mounted in the frame, a spindle horizontally mounted in the cradle, a one-way clutch on the spindle carrying a pinion engaging the rack, a second pinion on the clutch spindle, a gear wheel mounted on a vertical axis in the cradle and engaging said second pinion, an ink drum on the vertical axis secured to the gear wheel, a second ink drum mounted on the vertical axis above the first drum, a pair of endless ribbons one for each drum, spring-pressed means for holding the ribbons in contact with the ink drums, a series of guide rollers erticaly mounted in the cradle and round which the ribbons pass in front of the type faces on the type levers and means for tilting the cradle and for looking it in position to bring one or other of the ribbons into operative position.

. GEORGE WILLIAM NUNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,231,438 Dold Feb. 11, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 192,380 Switzerland of 1937 557,904 France of 1923 

